Borehole thermometer



W. J. CRITES BOREHOLE THERMOMETER April 6, 1943o original Filed July 11,1938 WILHUR I CRTES rammed Apr. s, 1943 Wilbur J. Crites, Bartlesville.Okla.. assigner to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of DelawareOriginal application July l11, 1938, Bex-isi No. 218,659. Divided andthis application Jano 8. 1940, Serial No. 339,567

1 clam. (ci. 'za-sas) that is responsive to temperature changes in thetranslation motion to a complementary mechanism in which the actuatingmechanism occupies a minimum amount of space and imparts maximum motionandforce to its complement.

-This application is a division of my co-pending applicationwhichresulted in Patent No. 2,213,-

950, issued September 10, 1940.

The invention further relates to improvements in devices for therecording of bottom hole temperatures or the range of variation inbottom hole temperatures in the bottom of a producing oil well.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for theabove-mentioned purpose, the adjustment and operation of which iseiected by thermal control means, for example. through the expansion andcontraction of confined liquids under changing temperatures.

A further objectv of the device is .to use the same-as a temperaturerecording mechanism to determine the variation of temperature existingin the well.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with.

other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention consists in the novel features hereinafter described indetail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing Y and more particularlypointed out in the ap- Figure 1 shows the application of the verticallmovement of expansion fluid containers to a recording temperature gaugeto measure the variations of temperaturewhich may exist in the bottom ofa well. A case or housing is shown which may be lowered into the well ona wire line attached to the eye 2|. The bottom of the housing 22 has'openings or slots 2i-A which allow the fluid from the well to enter thehousing. Mounted in vthe housing 2l and supported on the bottom thereofby means ofrod 22 are the mercury illled expansible containers 23.

means of coupling rods 2|. pansible container 23 has the rod 2l mountedthereon and has the shaft 2B rotatably and longitudinally slidabletherein. The rod 25 has mounted on its upper end a stylus 21 backed by acoil spring 28. In the upper end of the housing 20 is a clock mechanism2i which may be of any known design to rotate the shaft 28. Mounted onthe shaft 26 and rotatable therewith is the recording cylinder holder 30which has a wax or soft metal lining 3i around the interior of thecylinder. The stylus 21 contacts the wax or soft 'metal on the cylinderand makes a final shape, whereby the design of the thermal unit isarrived at by the collapse of a sphere -to the point that the collapsingsurfaces come in close contact. The containers are so constructed thatthe valley portion 23A is the weakest portionof the container.

24 is attached by welding or any other attaching means found suitable.The containers are assembled as in Figure 1 and immersed in the fluid ofthe well. 'I'he mercury in the containers assumes the same temperatureas the liquid in the well and is likewise responsive to any change intemperature. The mercury inexpanding or contracting, will exert itspressure at the weakened portion 23A and cause the wall of the con-'I'he expansible members 2t are connected together by f 'I'he uppermostex- The container isv filled with mercury before the coupling member thecylinder 3l keyed thereto. The stylus 21 mounted on rod 2l will remainstationary and trace a line on the wax or metal coating Il on the.cylinder 30. Any change in temperature in the well will cause expansionand contraction in the expansible containers which in turn will betransmitted to the -rod 2l as a vertical movement. This verticalmovement up and down ot the rod 2i will carry with it the stylus 21which in turn will trace and record its movement on the wax or softmetal 3l on the cylinder 30. In this manner a true picture of thevariations in temperature in the well bottom may be had from a study ofthe line traced on the coating Il.

Knowing the coefilcient of expansion of mercury and from previouscalibration of the expansible containers, the degrees of change oftemperature can easily be calculated. As many containers 23 may be usedas are necessary to get the required vertical movement. The temperaturedifferential will be slight so that small movement oi each container canbe expected, hence, the movement o! a number oi them must be addedtogether.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation andadvantages of my invention may be readily understood. by those skilledin the art. and it is apparent that changes may be made in detailsdisclosed. without departing from the spirit of the invention, asexpressed in the claim.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by `l letters Patent is:

` A temperature gauge to record the variation in temperature in a wellbore comprising a hausi ing, thermally .responsive means comprising an'4expansion fluid container responsive to tempera ture conditions in thewell bore, said container assuming the shape of a collapsed sphere withthe collapsed surfaces coming in close proximity with each other, thecollapsed surfaces being responsive to the expansion and contraction ofthe iluid medium due to temperaturev change, coupling means mounted onthe container Vfor transmitting movement, a clock mechanism mounted inthe housing having a shaft rotated by said mechanism, a record cylinderattached to the shaft, and a stylus carried by the coupling means on thecontainer and movable therewith bearing against the recording cylinder.

WILBUR J. CRITES.

